I read the article about Gerard Butler’s pug being attacked by a greyhound while walking in Queens (“Harebrained,” Aug. 27). Butler said that his dog was attacked, but Fred Varecka, the owner of the greyhound, Mayfly, said that his dog growled but never touched the pug. Ultimately, dogs that don’t know each other should never be close enough to touch.

The pug may never have previously been aggressive, and the same may be true of the greyhound, but it only takes one instance for things to go astray. As with other breeds, not every greyhound is small-animal friendly.

Greyhounds are wonderful animals. We must remember that they are a 5,000-year-old breed, once the favored companions of pharaohs and the kings and queens of England. This could not be true if these dogs were truly vicious creatures.